Functional Grammar

COMPARING
WORKSHEET 1

By Roland Alexandru Toth

Level: Upper-Intermediate

TEXT I
An Empire of Temples
Contemporary Cambodia is the successor state to the mighty Khmer empire, which,
during the Angkorian period, ruled much of what is now Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The
remains of this empire can be seen at the wonderful temples of Angkor, monuments unrivalled
in scale and grandeur in Southeast Asia. The traveler’s first glimpse of Angkor Wat, the
ultimate expression of Khmer genius, is sublime and is matched by only a few places on earth,
such as Machu Picchu or Petra.
The Urban Scene
Cambodia is more than its temples, and its urban areas can surprise with their
sophistication. Chaotic yet charismatic capital Phnom Penh is a revitalized city with a cultural
renaissance and world-class wining-and-dining scene. Second city Siem Reap, with
cosmopolitan cafes and a diverse nightlife, is as much a destination as the nearby iconic
temples. And up-and-coming Battambang, reminiscent of Siem Reap before the advent of mass
tourism, charms with graceful French architecture and a thriving contemporary art scene.
Upcountry Adventures
Experience the rhythm of rural life and landscapes of dazzling rice paddies and swaying
sugar palms in Cambodia's countryside. The South Coast is fringed by tropical islands dotted
with the occasional fishing village. Inland lie the Cardamom Mountains, part of a vast tropical
wilderness providing a home to wildlife and a gateway to emerging ecotourism adventures.
The mighty Mekong River cuts through the country and hosts some of the region’s last
remaining freshwater dolphins. The northeast is a world itself, wild and mountainous
landscapes home to Cambodia’s ethnic minorities and an abundance of natural attractions and
wildlife.
The Cambodian Spirit
Despite having the eighth wonder of the world in its backyard, Cambodia’s real treasure
is its people. The Khmers have been to hell and back, struggling through years of bloodshed,
poverty and political instability. Thanks to an unbreakable spirit and infectious optimism, they
have prevailed with their smiles intact. No visitor comes away without a measure of admiration
and affection for the inhabitants of this enigmatic kingdom.

[Adapted from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/cambodia ]

TEXT II

Pyramids & More

With sand-covered tombs, austere pyramids and towering Pharaonic temples, Egypt
brings out the explorer in all of us. Visit the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, where
Tutankhamun’s tomb was unearthed, and see the glittering finds in the Egyptian Museum in
Cairo. Hop off a Nile boat to visit Dendara, Edfu or one of the other waterside temples, cross
Lake Nasser to see Ramses II’s masterpiece at Abu Simbel, or trek into the desert to find the
traces of Roman trading outposts. You never know – your donkey might stumble across yet
another find, for that is the way many previous discoveries were made.
Two Religions
Egypt once ruled an empire from Al Qahira – Cairo, the City Victorious. The metropolis
is packed with soaring minarets and medieval schools and mosques, some of the greatest
architecture of medieval Islam. At the same time, Egypt’s native Christians, the Copts, have
carried on their traditions that in many respects – such as the church’s liturgical language and
the traditional calendar – link back to the time of the pharaohs. Tap into the history in Cairo's
early churches and in remote desert monasteries.
Beaches & Beyond
That empty beach with nothing but a candlelit cabin, and a teeming coral reef offshore:
they’re waiting for you in Egypt. The coast along the Red Sea has a rugged desert beauty above
the waterline and a psychedelic vibrancy below – rewarding to explore on a multiday outing to
one of the globe’s great dives or on an afternoon snorkeling along a coral wall. There is even
more space and just as much beauty in Egypt’s vast deserts. Whether you’re watching the sun
rise between the beautiful shapes of the White Desert or the shimmering horizon from the
comfort of a hot spring in Siwa Oasis, Egypt’s landscapes are endlessly fascinating.
Going With the Flow
The old saying that Egypt is the gift of the Nile still rings true: without the river there
would be no fertile land, no food and a lot less electricity. Although people's lives are
increasingly physically detached from the water, the Nile still exerts a uniquely powerful role.
Luckily for visitors, the river is also the perfect place from which to see many of the most
spectacular ancient monuments, reason why a Nile cruise remains such a popular way to travel.

[Adapted from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/egypt ]

Noticing

1. Have students read the two texts

2. Have students answer the following questions:
a). What kind of texts are the texts read? literary/informational/news/
b). What are the texts about? Compare the type of information and the content in
both texts.
c). What kind of publications do you think each text comes from?

Exploring
3. Have Students discuss the following questions:
a). What makes both destinations attractive and why?
b). What is the meaning of the phrase towering temple?
c). Why did the writer enhance the phrases saying swaying sugar palms instead
of sugar palms?
d). What is the difference between bring out and bring in ?
e). What are other phrasal verbs that use the verb bring ?
f). What is the tense used in most verbs in the texts?
4. Give feedback on the students’ answers to the questions. (See suggested answers below)
and have them discuss the following additional questions:
a). Which verbs may be used in a different tense than the one the author chose?
 b). What words may be used to replace all the phrasal verbs in the texts, while
keeping the same meaning?
c). Whhat is the difference between match by , match with and match to ?
d). Why is Angkor Wat matched by Macchu Picchu or Petra and isn’t matched
with Macchu Picchu or Petra? What is the difference in meaning?
5. Ask the students which of the following verbs are also phrasal? Put, have, shout, drop,
break, see, talk, bring, cross, drive, walk, get, go. (They may use dictionaries to do this task)

Practising

6. Write three phrasal verbs on the blackboard. Ask one half of the classroom to make
sentences using the three phrasal verbs and the other half to make sentences using other verbs
than phrasal and keep the meaning.
7. Have the groups compare and comment on the exercise.
8. Pick a random student to give a feed-back on this lesson and then ask the students to
write down the conclusions.
9. Keep the two groups and ask them which destination would they chose for a holiday
and why
10. Ask the students to write a similar text about a place they have travelled to, and make
use of phrasal verbs, the present simple tense and descriptive sentences.
 Functional Grammar
SEQUENCING
WORKSHEET 2

By Roland Alexandru Toth

Level: Intermediate

The Concorde

Part I

Read through the following five sentences from a text and answer the questions:

a). It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially.

b). Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated
until 2003.

c). Concorde was retired in 2003 as Airbus, the successor to the Anglo-French
company which built the Concorde decided to discontinue the maintenance
support.

d). Concorde flew regular transatlantic flights from London Heathrow and Paris
Charles de Gaulle Airport to New York-JFK, in less than half the time of other
airliners.

Part II

Reading Comprehension

1. What are the topics of each sentence?

2. Is the information coherent?
3. Does it inform right, in the way it’s structured/sequenced?
4. Which sentence should be put first and which should be put last?
5. How can the rest of the text be sequenced to make an organized text?

Part III
Now look at the paragraph you have written by ordering these sen- tences and discuss the
following questions.

1. Is the topic in sentence d) related with the topic in sentence a)? Where?
2. Is the topic in sentence b) related to the topic in sentence c) ? Where?
3. Is the topic in sentence b) related to the topic in sentence a)? Where?
 Universitatea “Aurel Vlaicu” Arad

Functional Grammar

Worksheet 1 on comparing
Worksheet 2 on sequencing

Prof. Coordonator Student:

Conf. Univ. Dr. Otilia Liana Huțiu Prof. Roland Alexandru Toth
LAPM I

Arad
2019